By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
For the first time since the format was changed, the Dowagiac varsity softball team reached the finals of the Chieftain Invitational on Saturday.
In fact, since the tournament switched from four to eight teams, the Chieftains hadn't won its opening round game.
For the past two years Crown Point (Ind.) had downed the Chieftains.
Dowagiac was able to finally get by Crown Point this time around, although it took extra innings.
The Chieftains then knocked off Elkhart (Ind.) Memorial in the semifinals to face defending champion Andrean (Merrillville, Ind.) in the title game.
Andrean, which is 8-0 on the season and ranked No. 2 in Division 2A, was too much for a banged up Dowagiac squad. Andrean rolled to a 19-0 victory over the Chieftains to take home the trophy for the second straight year.
Dowagiac opened its season on Friday with a doubleheader blowout of Berrien Springs (see related story this page). Chieftain pitchers tossed five games in less than 24 hours which may have taken its toll at the end of the day as well.
Still, Brooks was pleased with the way his team hit the ball on Friday in its season opener and the way it played in beating a pair of solid softball teams in Crown Point and Elkhart Memorial.
Kelly Tomczak improved to 2-0 with her five-hit performance in the opener against Crown Point. Tomczak struck out 13 and walked just one.
Dowagiac was led offensively by Rachel Minikel who singled twice and doubled. Brittney Reist, Tomczak and Mandy Parish all had two hits for the Chieftains.
Jenna Stuppy improved to 2-0 in the semifinals with her victory over Elkhart Memorial. Stuppy allowed four hits while striking out nine and walking only one.
Parish singled and doubled for the Chieftains, who also got a double from Stuppy.
Stuppy took the loss in the championship game as she worked two and two-third innings, allowing 12 earned runs on 15 hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Dowagiac finished with just two hits, one of which was a double by Minikel.
Dowagiac Invitational
First Round
Dowagiac beat Crown Point 3-2
Elkhart Memorial beat Walled Lake Western 3-0
Portage Northern beat Mishawaka Marian 2-1
Andrean beat Kalamazoo Christian 5-2
Second Round
Dowagiac beat Elkhart Memorial 4-2
Andrean beat Portage Northern 9-0
Crown Point beat Walled Lake Western 5-1
Kalamazoo Christian beat Mishawaka Marian 4-1
Championship
Andrean beat Dowagiac 19-0
3rd Place
Portage Northern beat Elkhart Memorial 4-1
5th Place
Kalmazoo Christian beat Crown Point 5-1
7th Place
Walled Lake Western beat Mishawaka Marian 6-5
First Game
Crown Point 100 010 00 -- 2 5 1
Dowagiac 200 000 01 -- 3 13 2
Kelly Tomczak (W, 2-0), Holvis (L)
2B: Yokovich (CP), Minikel (D)
Semifinal Game
Elkhart Memorial 000 000 2 -- 2 4 4
Dowagiac 000 112x -- 4 4 1
Jenna Stuppy (W, 2-0), Stephanie Elam (L)
2B: Erica Bednarski (EM), Mandy Parish (D), Jenna
Stuppy (D)
Championship Game
Andrean 346 004 2 -- 19 20 1
Dowagiac 000 000 0 -- 0 2 4
Sheaks (W, 8-0), Jenna Stuppy (L, 2-1)
2B: Rachel Minikel (D), Jeziorski (A), Rossner (A),
Goetz (A)
3B: Jeziorski (A)
Records: Andrean 8-0, Dowagiac 4-1